Metallic ornaments mounted upon a gem by tubular rivets with a filling



July 31, 1956 H. A. NNEN 2,756,571

METAL ORNAMENTS MOUNTED UPON A GEM BY ULAR RIVETS WITH A FILLING Filed July 20, 1954 lNx/ENToR. ,Hn/:y Nl vez@ TTORNEYS.

2,756,571 Patented July 31, 1956 lUnited States Patent .Office METALLIC ORNAMENTSMOUNTED UPON A GEM BY TUBULAR RIVETS WITH A FILLING Henry A. Niven, Norton, Mass., assignor to L. G. Balfour Company, a corporation of Massachusetts l Application July 20, 1954, Serial No. 444,425 v 4 Claims. (Cl. 63-15) This invention relates to the mounting of a metallic ornament on a gern and the mounting of the gemin an article of jewelry, more particularly a finger ring.

Gems, such as stones and the like, are frequently used as an ornamental top for a finger ring. In some cases a metal ornament is mounted on the gem by soldering tubular pegs on the back of the metallic ornament and passing them through openings in the gem and Ithen riveting the ends of the pegs over the rear surface of the gem, usually over a washer which engages the rear surface of the gem. Frequently this riveting will crack the gem or so chip it that it is an imperfect gem, and great care must therefore be used. n

One of the objects of this invention is to so mount the metallic ornament on the gem that chipping of the gem or cracking of `the gem is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to utilize a transparent or translucent backing for the gem so that the tubular pegs for holding the metallic ornament in place will be reinforced and strengthened whereby riveting such as heretofore accomplished need not be had.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a solid backing for a gem which exhibits some resiliency under impact so that breaking of the gem is reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a finger ling embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the ring shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on a much larger scale taken substantially along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 2 and drawn to the same scale as that of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the gem with the ornament attached thereto;

Figure 6 is an exploded View of 'the gem and ornament of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 3 and showing a slightly modified form of structure.

In proceeding with this invention, I provide the metal ornament to engage the outer surface of the gem with tubular pegs passing through openings in the gem. The rear ends of the pegs are then each ared to provide a frustro cone, which flaring is found to have certain resilience and thus apply a yielding pressure on the rear surface of the gem to hold the ornament in place. The gern is then positioned in an open seting and the opening in the setting at the back of the gem is filled with a transparent plastic material such as for instance, methyl meth` acrylate, or any other resin which maybe softened and caused to ll a void and will thereafter harden upon cooling or evaporation of the solvent which may be used for plasticizing the same. This resin not only serves to support and hold 'the ared ends of the pin in place but additionally serves to support the gem throughout its extent and prevent cracking thereof upon impact.

The invention is shown embodied in an article of jewelry in the form of a nger ring which is illustrated more or less conventionally. The ring comprises the usual body or shank portion 10 having a flat surface 11 in which there is provided an opening 12 therethrough. A base or'bezel 1 3 is secured to the surface 11 in the known manner and has an opening 14 therethrough, the walls of which extend` in continuation with the walls of opening 12. The upper ledge or shoulder 15 about the opening 14. Thus, there is formed an open setting in which a gem 16 or the like may be inserted to rest upon the shoulder 15.

The gern 16 in .the present instance has a flat bottom side 17 and is provided with spaced openings 18 therethrough. Preferably the edges of the gem are beveled as at 19. The metal ornament 20 (see Figure 6) which may have any desired configuration is shown as being rectangular and is provided with hollow or tubular pegs 21 depending from the bottom side thereof. These pegs are of a size and spaced to correspond to the size and spacing of openings 18. The gem 16 and ornament 20 in accordance with the invention are first assembled together (see Figure 5) by positioning the ornament 20 on the face of the gern 16 with the pegs 21 projecting through openings 18. The pegs extend a substantial distance beyond the gem and the projecting end portions 22 are flared as by spreading into frustoconical form to rivet the metallic member or ornament 20 in position on the gem. This flaring permits of some resilience in the stock of the pegs and applies gentle pressure on the gem as distinguished from riveting heretofore had. The gem 16 with the ornament 20 attached thereto may now be inserted in the base or bezel 13 to rest the bottom side 17 of the gem upon the shoulder 15. The upper marginal edges 23 of the bezel 13 are turned inwardly to engage the bevel edges 19 of the gem to secure the gem between the said shoulder 15 and the turned edges 23.

The opening in the setting at the rear of the gem is filled with a resin material 25, such for instance as methyl methacrylate or other suitable resin which may pass light. This resin is softened to such an extent that it may be flowed into the said opening to fill the hollow tubular pegs 21 and embed the projecting conical portion of the pegs 21. The resin fill is shaped along its outer surface as at 26 so as to extend in continuation with the adjacent surface portions of the shank 10 and provide a generally flush continuous surface for engagement with the finger for comfort in wearing the ring. The ared ends 22 are thus embedded in and well supported by the resin and cooperate with the pegs to prevent their coming loose.

The plastic material 25 which is used may be of a color so as yto correspond to the color of the gem 16. Thus, this transparent or translucent plastic material by reason of its color sets off and enhances the stone or gem which is used and greatly increases the brilliance thereof. Likewise by filling of the opening at the back of the gem and providing a smooth surface, dirt or foreign matter which usually collects in this opening or void is prevented from doing so, making it unnecessary to attempt to clean the ring and also providing a much cleaner ring, maintaining its greater brilliance without cleaning effort and yet retaining all of the advantages of the open back gem setting as well as the advantages of the closed back setting.

ln some cases the outer surface of the peg 21 will be threaded as at 27, as shown in Figure 7. This provides a somewhat better holding surface on the outer surface of the pegs in which the non-metallic plastic material may engage along the outwardly flared portions 22 as above explined,

By the term gem used in, the specication we include any ngtural stone or artificial stone or any insert.member wlhichingly' be set info, an opensetting' in.af.jewe1ry 'rti'cle.

1. 'An' article ofY jewelry comprising a body with alhole therethrough, agenratkone endo'f'said hole having Openings the'retl'irou'ginr an ornamental member on. said, gem with tubular pegs secured thereto and extending through saidjopenihgs, the ends of said pegs being ared outwardly t, the'baek of said` gem'` providing, a.l spacev between the daredA pforion andthe back faceof the` gem, and a solid non-metallic light transmittingr'naterial' of such character 's to Vhave beenowble illings'uhstantilly "the v'pjortirorr'of' saidfhol'e unfilled By. said gern and said space, thereby embedding sidflald'por'tion,

i 2.l `article, as Vin claiml 1 wherein the outer surface ofthe pegs is threaded.

3. A. gern hayi'ngan opening therethrough, an ornamental member' contactingsaidv gem with tubular` pegs secured thereto 'and extending through; said openings, the ends of said pegs being ared outwardly at the back of saidlgen1 into`'frus't'rocolii'czilJ shape providing a space between the References Citedltinthe' l'e of' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,475` Ford--v Apr. "27, "1869 586,770 K empshall July 20, 1897 2,057,484 Grant Oct'. 113', 1936 2,228,755 Dinhofer.` U. v s lan. 14, 1941 2,240,247 Krieke Apr. 29, 1941 2,456,118 Foster Dec. 14, 1948 2,507,780 Gilbert May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 363,959

France Aug..y 1.0, 1906; 

